Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-04-21
HENRY NJ. STANLEY.
A Sketch of the Famous Explorer
and Man.
His frue Name "JOhn ROwlands"-A Lit
tie "Weakness"-The Natives Fear
OF His vessel-Safety in
ssStiIl Life"

Nobody asks who Henry NJ. Stanley
is, nor what he has done. His name is
as familiar as that of Livingstone, with
which it is closely connected in the
popular mind, or as those of Sir John
Franklin and DR.. Kane used to be; and
everybody knows that he went into
the heart of Africa and found Living
stone when the world believed the
great Neutrality-suspicious. dead.
But Stanley has done greater deeds
than this. His search expedition was
undertaken at time when compare
lively little was known of the vast in
terror of Africa. The great lakes had
been visited, Livingstone had crossed
South Africa, discovered Lake Bang
weolO and the grandest falls in the
d-Victoria-and had explored the
eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika; but
the sources of the Congo, most of the
country through which it runs, and its
wonderful tributaries We're unknown.
Stanley. beginning where Livingstone
left off. has done more for geographical
science, civilization, and commerce
than any other African explorer. He
and Livingstone. and Cameron, and
Burton, and Spoke have made the work
of the photographer far different from
what it was known in the days of Swift,
when--
'Geographers. in Afrc maps.
With savage pictures fill their gaps;
And er unhabitable downs
Place elephants for want of towns
Steamers now ply on the waters of
the Upper Congo and its tributaries,
which afford an aggregate of seven
thousand miles of navigable streams.
4 railroad is already planned round
the rapids of the Lower Congo to STAN
ley Pool, and missionaries are advanc-
ing. with purpose of peaceful conquest.
into the very heart of the Ozark CONT
nent." Even women, European wo-
men. are travelling the route which,
before Stanley accomplished it, the
world hardly expected white men
would ever successfully undertake.
Stanley has made it possible to estab-
fish legitimate commerce with the pop
ulous and productive interior, and in
the near future to reach the seat of the
abominable slave traffic, and break it
up. to civilize the people, and to give
them the Gospel. Simply as the founder
of the great Congo Free State. to the
development of which the King of
Belgium is dcvoting much of his
thought and his royal fortune. and for
the maintenance of which, for the BEN
eft of the whole world. the power and
influence of the great nations of Europe
are pledged. Stanley has earned the
gratitude of the civilized world.
All this and much more is due to STAN
ley; yet l suspect this is much less wide
~ known than the fact that he found
Livingstone. The former is present
history to which every day is adding
something: the latter is an event COM
plete and fixed. Livingstone. the idol
of Christendom, has gone to his rest,
not only admired for his great achieve
ments, but loved, deeply loved for his
noble nature, his broad human SYM
pathies, his sublime sacrifice for Africa.
Stanley is man of different mold. but
the world owes him greater debt al
ready than it owes Livingstone, and he
Is yet young man. comparatively.
SANKEY'S sudden recall from this |
country by his royal employer. the |
King cf Belgium. will prevent. at least |
for some time. thousands of his coun.
trymen from looking upon the African
explorer and civilizer. He is one of |
the great men of the age; certainly |
the greatest explorer of the century,
and it can never be a matter of indif- |
ference to the multitude to be in the
presence of such man, especially as
he has brought such honor to the
American name.
And this reminds me of the fact
which. / suspect, is not very widely
known. that Stanley is not native Of |